Hydraulic turbine



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 /4 TTORNE YS G. A. BIGGs HYDRAULIC TURBINE Fiied June' 21', 1932 Oct. 17, 1933.

Oct. 17, 1933. G, A, BIGGS i 1,931,158

HYDRAULI C TURB I NE Filed June 21, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 if y @wwf-M ATTOENE Y6 Oct. 17, 1933. G. A. Bless HYDRAULIC TURBINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed June 2l 1932 ATTORNEYJ Patented Oct. 17, 1.933

UNITED 4.STATES 1,931,15S- HYDRAULIC TURBINE George A. Biggs, Springfield, Ohio, assigner to The James Leffel & Company,

S'pringeld,

' "0hio, a corporation of Ohiol Application June 21, 1932. serial No. 618,491

20 Claims.

My invention relates to hydraulic turbines and, in particular, to an apparatusand method of self-adjustment for adjustable turbine blades. l It is my object to provide a means and method of adjusting turbine blades according to the water flow through the turbine automatically but without affecting the control remotely.

' In particular, it is my `object to provide a means of adjusting the runner blades by the Water flow itself directly at'the runner and not remotely therefrom by various arrangements whichV have heretofore been customary in this art. Y

Referring to the drawings: Y Figure 1 isa half section through one form of such a runner and its adjusting mechanism;

Figure 2 is a perspective of the adjusting vane; Figure 3 is" a' diagrammatic view showing the blade adjustable positions;

Figure 451s a diagram indicating the effect of different water flows on the adjusting-mecha'- n-isrn and the buckets; A

`Iigure 5 is a modified `view showing a differentferm vof' gate and blade arrangement;

Figure-6 is aperspectivefof the hub of the blade; f

1 igure'? is 'a section 'on the line '7-7 of Figi? ure5.A f y Y Referring to the drawings, I is a runner shaft to which is bolted by the bolts 2 a hubY 3 having Y r f s shaft reciprocatesvertically in the chamberY 12 in the hub 3` and extends below the hub int'o a stationary sleeve 13v in the draft tube I4;

this adjusting shaft' 11 is mounted the 45 adjusting vanes 15 and A16 of different length mounted on hub V17 whichattaches these blades to theshaft 1 1-, The longer' of l the ,blades is adaptedv to engage, upon rotation, with aV` stop 18onthe wall of the draft tube 19.

50 The usual draft tube ring 20, adjustable gates 21 and-"gate ring 22' are provided.

As the vwater enters through the gates,` it passes over the` buckets 4 and `engages. the adv'a-nes'l and 16, The extentof such 55 engagement dependsupon the amount `of water (c1. ,25a-144i flowing through the draft tube over theblades of the runner. long as thewater flows in vertical lines inl the draft tubefthe {vanes 1 5 and 16- willI not rota-te,v Under such conditions, the discharge vdiagrarrr will be lik'e QN M in Figure 4. lC-f the gates 2 1 close' sov that the-dia# gram becomes OMP,Vthen the: water wi'ljlj flow in the^` direction of Q; This `strikes theadjust.- ing variesv 15- and 16' at anangle andcauses'the vanes to rotate, 'Ifhisrotation of' the shaft'v 'I f 65'. causes it to move downwardly due to the useoff the screw 23-in the stationary' member 13 Th e downward movement ofthe adjustingshaft 1]. through the intermediate gear connections with the buckets 4 rotates the vbuckets'on their axes 763 until they produce Aa; discharge anglev OMS `,jat which time the water is flowing vertically again in the direction-"1 and then the vVaries 1 5 and 1'6 come to rest and hold the blades on the runner hub in that position. There isno tendency forthe vrunner varies 1:5l and 16 todrift either forwardly or I )ackwardl'fI because anycjhange yin their position immediately afl'ects" th e runner blades 4 and consequently the vertically flowing stream.v '1 Q 86" ,If the, gates .Open Widethel'tfthe Sue-am. Win immediately assume 4 a spiral effectmakingj the discharge angle liker CMU, 'Ihis I'rrodnces; pres-,-4 sure onv the other* side'of thebladesl and 1 6 and causes the adjusting runnervanes I5, and I 6 toA revolve in the directfonrv whichraises the screw 23Ucausingr the runner blades '4 to rotate tol a wider open position as indicatedin Figure, 3'. This changes the discharge ang1e a.gain to vertical flowing making the nangle OMW, The arrangement is` sneu that about criatura ofthe blades 1 5 and I6 causesthe runner blades 4' torotate over A,their full range. y

It wi-u be understood: that y1 desire -prehend within my invention such modifications,

as may be necessary to adapt it to varying conditionsanduses. j f Having thusl fully described my inventionrwhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:` c

1 In a hydraulic turbine',V arunner comprising a runner .shaftV and hub, a pluralityHot-adf justable blades mounted thereon, water-cmeratelg, adjusting vanes associated withsaid runner: nected with Vthe runner blades for adjusting` 105 according tov the nowv of water over the j l g; v 1 L L:. 2. In al hydraulic turbina a runner comprising; a'runn'er shaftand hub;l a plurality of adjustable blades'mounted thereon, water-operated, adjust- 110 ing vanes associated with said runner connected with the runner blades foradjusting them according to the flow of Water over the runner, and means for interconnecting said adjusting vanes and the runner' blades, whereby the runner can rotate independently of the adjusting vanes While beingeonstantly adjusted thereby.

3. In a hydraulic turbine, a runnerv comprising a runner shaft and hub, a plurality of adjustable blades mounted thereon, water-operated, adjusting vanes associated with said runner connected with the runner blades for adjusting them according to the Vflow of Water over the runner, and gate means for adjusting the ilowof Water over said runner blades and the adjusting vanes.

4. In a hydraulic turbine,`v a runner comprising a runner shaft and hub, a plurality of adjustable blades mounted thereon, ,water-operated,

adjusting vanes associated with said runner connected with the runner blades for adjusting them according vto the flow of Water overthe runner,

.s and f'gate meansfor adjusting the flow of water over'said runner blades andthe adjusting vanes. f v5. In a hydraulic turbine runner comprising a shaft Aand hub, a plurality of rotatable runner blades, adjusting vane means' therebelow engagedby the samewater that passes over the runner blades, and means interconnecting saidl adjusting vanes and said blades for Hadjusting their`position according to thev nature-of the Water flow thereover.

-' 6.A In a hydraulic turbine runner comprising a shaft and hub, a plurality of .rotatable runner blades, adjusting vane means therebelow engaged by thesame water that passes over the runner blades,.and means interconnecting said adjusting vanes and said blades for adjusting their position accordingto the nature of the water flow thereover`withoutst6pping the operationof the turbine runner.

' 7. Ina hydraulic turbine, a draft tube, a runner therein comprising a shaft, a hub and a plurality of adjustable vblades adapted to change the angularity of the Water flowing thereover intov the draft tube, adjusting vanes .connected to said runner blades adapted to be rotated according to thel angularity` of the flow of the water'through'the drafttube in which the adjusting vanes are locatedwhereby'the runner blades" are adjusted according to the fiow of water thereover. Y

8. In a hydraulic turbine, a draft tube, a runner therein having adjustable blades, rotatable adjusting vanes having their faces vertically disposed adapted to be rotated when `the Water flowing through the draft tube assumes/an angle.

-ner therein having adjustable blades, rotatable adjusting vanes having their faces vertically dis'- posed adapted to be rotated whenthe water flowing through the draft tube yassumes an Vangle of 110Wv with Vrespect to the 'vertical' faces of the adjusing vanes, means connected to said adjusting vanes and said runner blades for adjusting the runnen' blades, and gates for controlling the amount of water admitted to the draft tube over the runner blades and adjusting vanes, whereby the bladesrwill be adjusted imposition according to the flow of water through the draft tube.

10. In av hydraulic turbine runner, a shaft, a

hollow hub, a plurality of adjustable blades onV said hub, a reciprocatory adjusting shaft extending into and from said hub, means interconnecting said blades and said adjusting shaft for adjusting said blades without Vpreventing the rotation of the'blades with the runner hub, adjusting vanes on saidV adjusting shaft below the blades on the runner hub, and means associated with said adjusting shaft to cause it to recipro- Vcate according to the direction of rotation of the adjusting vanes.

11. In a hydraulic turbine runner, a shaft, a hollow hub, a plurality of adjustable blades on said hub, a recipro'catory adjusting shaft extending into and from said hub, means interconnecting said blades and saidradjusting shaft for vrotating said blades without preventing the rotawhile the runner bladesr may be adjusted at an angle to the flow of water through the draft tube. Y

12. Ina hydraulic turbine runner, a shaft,a hollow hub, a plurality of adjustable blades on said hub, a reciprocatory adjustingshaft extending into and from vsaid hub, means interconnecting said blades and said adjusting shaft for rotating said blades without preventing vthe rotation of the blades'with the runner hub, ad-

justingvanes onsaid adjusting shaft below the s.

blades on the runner hub, means associated with said adjusting shaft to cause it to reciprocate acn s s cording to the direction of rotation of the-adjust-- ing vanes, said adjustingvanes having their faces vertically disposed parallelzwith the verticalgow of water throughthe draft tube While the vrunner blades may be adjusted at an angle to the flow of water through the draftY tube, and meansfor limiting the extent of rotation of the adjusting i blades and the adjusting shafti 1 13. In a hydraulic turbine runner, a shaft, a

hollow hub, a plurality of adjustable blades-on said hub, a reciprocatory adjusting shaft extending into and from said hub, means linterconnecting said blades and said Yadjusting shaft ,for ro-v tating said blades Without preventing the rotation of the blades with the runner hub, adjusting vanes on said adjusting shaft below the blades on the runner hub, means associated withV said adjusting shaft to cause it to reciprocate according tothe direction of rotation of the adjusting vanes, said adjusting vanes having their faces vertically disposed parallel with the vertical fiow of water thrughthe draft tube whileQthe runner blades may be adjusted' at an angle to the flow of water through the draft tube. means for limiting the extent of rotation of the adjusting blades andthe adjusting shaft, and gate means for controlling the extent of flow of water through the draft tube over the runner blades and the adjustingy vanes.

14; In a hydraulic turbine, a runnershaft" a hub, ,a pluralityl of rotatable` lrunner blades mounted in said hub having gears thereon, reciprocal racks engaging said gears mounted in said hub,I a reciprocating adjustingshaft in saidQhub projecting therefrom engageable with said racks but freely rotatable, whereby the adjusting racks reciprocate together for adjusting the runner blades.

15. In a hydraulic turbine, a runner shaft, a hub, a plurality of rotatable runner blades mounted in said hub having gears thereon, re-

ciprocal racks engaging said gears mounted in said hub, a reciprocating adjusting shaft in said hub projecting therefrom engageable with said racks but freely rotatable, whereby the adjusting racks reciprocate together for adjusting the runner blades, means for supporting said adjusting shaft, and means for causing it to rotate and reciprocate.

16. In a hydraulic turbine, a runner shaft, a hub, a plurality of rotatable runner blades mounted in said hub having gears thereon, reciprocal racks engaging said gears mounted in said hub, a reciprocating adjusting shaft in said hub projecting therefrom engageable with said racks but freely rotatable, whereby the adjusting racks reciprocate together for adjusting the runner blades, means for supporting said adjusting shaft, and means for causing it to rotate and reciprocate, said last mentioned means comprising adjusting vanes having their faces vertically disposed in the` path of the fiuid flowing over the rlmner blades and directed thereto thereby.

17. In a hydraulic turbine, a vertically-disposed runner shaft, a hollow hub, a second shaft depending therefrom in line with the first shaft and journaled in said hub, a stationary means for supporting said second shaft therebeneath and to cause it to reciprocate, vane means on said shaft below said hub adapted to cause it to rotate and with the adjustable runner blades connected to said shaft to be rotated thereby when the shaft reciprocates without preventing the bodily rotation of said blades about said adjusting shaft with the runner hub.

18. In a hydraulic turbine, a vertically-disvposed runner shaft, a hollow hub, a second shaft depending therefrom in line with the first shaft and journaled in said hub, a stationary means for supporting said second shaft therebeneath and to cause it to reciprocate, vane means on said shaft below said hub adapted to cause it to rotate and with theadjustable runner blades connected to said vshaft to be rotated thereby when the shaft reciprocates without preventing the bodily rotation of said blades 'about said adjusting shaft with the runner hub, and gate means for controlling the extent of introduction of fluid over said runner blades, and adjusting vanes.

19. In ahydraulic turbine, a vertically-disposed runner shaft, a hollow hub, a second shaft depending therefrom in line with the flrst shaft and journaled in said hub, a stationary means for supporting said second shaft therebeneath and to cause it to reciprocate, vane means on said shaft below said hub adapted to cause it to rotate and with the adjustable runner blades connected to said shaft to be rotated thereby when the shaft reciprocates without preventing 100 the bodily rotation of said blades. about said adjusting shaft with the runner hub, and gate means for controlling the extent of introduction of uid over said runner blades and adjusting vanes, one of said adjusting' vanes being longer 105 than the other, and stop means on the draft tube engagable with the longer of said blades.

20. In a hydraulic turbine, a runner shaft and hub, a plurality of rotatable. blades mounted therein, each having a hub, a blade shaft, an 110 oppositely-disposed lug and segmental gear, a rack on each of ythe blade shafts, and a reciprocal rack member guided in said runner hub for engaging each of said segmental racks on the blade shafts whereby the blades are locked in position for rotation in the hub.

GEORGE A. BIGGS. 

